Help Calm Carry On

Fiona Jensen is the Founder & CEO of Calmer Choice, a non-profit that provides mindfulness & social-emotional learning programs to students & adults throughout Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts.

Fiona started Calmer Choice in 2009, in response to the devastation experienced by her community after the tragic deaths of several high school students.  To date they have reached over 32,000 students  both on and off Cape Cod.  Beyond its work with children, Calmer Choice provides programming for  educators and community members. It has collaborated with researchers from Tufts, Yale and MIT to establish precedence for the impact of mindfulness on overall health, well-being, and academic performance of its participants.

A graduate of Tufts University, Fiona is a tireless advocate for children.  In 2014, Fiona received the Courage of Conscience humanitarian award on behalf of the Peace Abbey, and is the recipient of the 2019 Roselyn Jaffe Award for Everyday Heroes.

With the help of the Elevate Prize, Calmer Choice - an innovative mindfulness-based prevention program - will be able to step confidently into our second decade as a youth and community-serving nonprofit organization. The hallmark of our next decade is the creation and pilot of “The Calmer Choice Institute.”  While not a brick-and-mortar facility at this juncture, the Institute will serve as an umbrella for our three signature Calmer Choice services – our direct service programs to schools, our direct service community-based programs, and our training programs for instructors, teachers and other professionals looking to implement Calmer Choice in their home schools and communities.  Observing a significant uptick in both student and community unrest and anxiety in the current pandemic climate, Calmer Choice currently seeks to create novel ways to provide services virtually to reach a wider and more global audience. 

Cape Cod and Southeastern, Massachusetts have limited facilities and programs to assist students dealing with stress, depression and possible substance abuse. Calmer Choice remains the only organization that offers primary prevention programs that reaches every student in the classroom and collaboration with school leadership to ensure the benefits of mindfulness practice are integrated into the school’s culture. Without Calmer Choice, students would have no access to a school-based mindfulness curriculum, which has been identified as a key resource in the state’s opioid prevention efforts.

Additionally, with community programs that reach parents and community members, Calmer Choice is positioned to have a transformative impact on the entire region. While much of the country is focused on the immediate needs of housing and food accessibility, and supporting the frontline workers who are battling to save lives every day, Calmer Choice recognizes the equally important need to support the mental well-being of our communities.

In recent years prior to this pandemic, Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts have experienced a painful increase in the loss of young people attributed to risky behavior, poor choices, mental health challenges, substance abuse, self-harm, and suicidal behavior. This will only grow in the wake of this crisis.

Our project is to design and pilot the Calmer Choice Institute – the signature outcome of our recent three-year strategic planning process – to “Help Calm Carry On” in the post-pandemic world.  

Primary components include:

• Grow our portfolio of both in-person and on-line school-based programs taught by our own instructors.
• Broaden our portfolio of Partner Schools, who complete our three-year program to operate our curriculum independently.
• Expand delivery of our community programs, identifying and partnering with organizations who desire customized programs, such as first responders, grandparents raising grandchildren, etc.
• Develop a training model to disseminate our curriculum and train people across the country.

Required activities include:

• Determine revenue models and budget
• Develop a menu of fees for services and financial aid structure to support services 
• Develop pilot strategy for implementation of the Institute
• Identify and develop alternate models of service (shorter, adaptable)
• Refine training models for schools and community settings
• Continue to establish new relationships with schools, community and targeted groups
• Explore partnering with universities to have participants receive college credit
• Explore options for online learning platforms
• Develop menu of online services
• Develop business model for online learning platform
• Develop model for training and supporting users of online platform 

On Cape Cod, year-round resident families often struggle financially due to a seasonal economy, high cost of living, and wages that are significantly lower than the state average. Many families are at risk economically and socially. Over the past several years, there has been an increasing demand for our services, which support the mental, social, emotional and behavioral needs of the people we serve. The Calmer Choice Institute is a comprehensive and sustainable approach to address those mounting needs.

Through surveys, we learned the most frequent challenge facing the nearly 6,000 young people and families we serve annually are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).  ACEs, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention, are “potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood” from birth to age 17. ACEs are linked to chronic health problems, mental illness, and substance misuse in adulthood.

ACEs often extend beyond single occurrences, and are sometimes experienced concurrently. When children are exposed to negative and violent behaviors in their homes and neighborhoods, their school communities—where our services are provided—are sometimes their only stable and safe environment. Now, amplified by this current pandemic climate of school cancellations and quarantines, we are being called to pivot in crisis. 

Through the creation of the Institute, Calmer Choice will be increasing access to original, innovative, responsive and versatile programming that supports the mental, social and emotional health and well-being of all populations, including those who are traditionally left behind. Our programming is informed by experiences in local schools and based on academic research, student survey data, parent and school feedback, community partnerships and continuing staff professional development with experts from around the world. We are committed to providing our services to all those who need us, regardless of their ability to pay. 

Calmer Choice was created in 2010, a time of my life when my youngest child went through an incredibly traumatic time in high school when the emerging opiate and mental health crisis that was beginning to wreak havoc across the nation.  I watched my daughter and her friends struggle as they tried to navigate through a murder and two suicides amongst their peers all related to that opiate crisis that had not even been publicly identified.

As a mother, I wanted to find some way to provide those kids with skills and tools that they might use to steady themselves in the face of such tragedy. I turned to my own experience as a woman in long-term recovery with a with a mindfulness practice of my own. I had learned what a powerful tool mindfulness was for my own wellbeing and it occurred to me that it might also help them. As any parent knows when trying to teach your own kids anything, it often does not work well.  I decided the best place to start might be her school.  What started as an idea to put one program into one school quickly turned into much a needed community-based non-profit.

Another young life lost to the opioid epidemic, another community forum to raise awareness of the issue. What if we could change the tide by focusing on possible solutions? What if we as a community could do something to make a difference now and not after another tragedy?

Instead of focusing on the “whose fault is it” question, could we collectively do something before that child picks up the drink or drug?  What are the mental health factors that kids begin with and how can we bolster their resilience NOW to help their lifetime decision making and well-being?

I often share that the onset of anxiety disorder in this country is age five and that depression sets in around age twelve. If this is the case, why not start THERE, in the elementary schools.  Not necessarily teaching children about heroin, addiction or about the terrible things can happen to them but rather help them to navigate this anxiety and the depression before they make bad choices. We cannot prevent our children from encountering problems, but we can help them build their own resiliency, so they do not turn to harmful substances or destructive behaviors down the line.

I am the founder and CEO of this organization. I am a licensed registered Occupational Therapist by profession.  By training, OT’s see the world through the lens of what’s missing that would make a difference.  I think this played a huge role in the creation of this organization – I saw a need, and I filled it.

Calmer Choice was started as a grassroots community based non-profit organization on Cape Cod serving two classrooms – the place where I first saw the need. Now, we have worked with over 32,000 students and teachers across the region. We train our own instructors. We train teachers so that schools can teach independently. We have worked with researchers from Tufts, Yale, Harvard and MIT to study the efficacy of what we do.  We are supported locally by our regional health care system, the Cape Cod Legislative Delegation, the United Way and multiple organizations in the region for education, youth development and substance abuse prevention. We have developed a Business Alliance Partnerships with many businesses in our community that support the implementation of our programs in local schools. We have built strong bridges within the mindfulness community nationally.

Calmer Choice was born out of crisis.  And, once again we as a nation are in a crisis.   We all continue to have much to learn and much to share with each other regarding how we can ensure our programs are both affordable and available to all who seek services.  

As a woman in long-term recovery, I remember learning mindfulness in my 40’s and thinking “why did I not learn this when I was a kid?” It would have been a game changer.  Having grown up in an alcoholic family, I picked up my first drink when I was 13.  I drank because I was anxious. I drank because I was socially awkward.  I drank because that seemed to be the solution at the time.

Fast forward to age 40.  Newly sober and filled with anxiety, no longer self-medicating. I take a mindfulness class and I find out that much of what I felt was simply what it was to be human.  There was another way to deal with this.  Forward fast another 10 years and I'm watching a group of kids come undone.  So much anxiety.  So much upset.  Witnessing my daughter and her friends go through pain.

What if I could introduce a program into their school not about math, science or history, but about what it is to be human? How to manage strong emotions, how to navigate their lives. What if we could come together as a community and be part of the solution?

2020 started out with such promise. Calmer Choice was poised to celebrate its tenth anniversary, move into a new space with room for community programs, and continue implementing its newly adopted Strategic Plan. Then our world changed completely.

The pandemic has helped me define my own meaning of leadership and resilience. Forced out of my comfort zone. I needed a team. We had to make gut decisions with limited to no information and rise to the occasion despite feeling unsure. We made tough but necessary staffing decisions, secured short-term funding to supplement reduced donations, and set into motion changes that allowed Calmer Choice to continue to deliver its life-changing programs virtually rather than in-person.  Amid this uncertainty, we led the most successful period of fundraising in Calmer Choice’s existence.

Leading through crisis is scary, and this one more so with its unprecedented nature and profound impacts.  There were times that I wondered if we made the “right” decisions. I am now aware that all those decisions were the ones that needed to be made. Because of this leadership, Calmer Choice is focused, driven, and poised to thrive and for this I am grateful. 

Calmer Choice compliments the work being done in the community and schools as a pro-active prevention program that reaches young people before they are exposed to and potentially start the negative behaviors which then require the services of the many community organizations that provide after the fact treatment and counseling services.  Going upstream from the crisis. That's what makes us unique.

Also, Calmer Choice occupies a remarkably neglected space, at the confluence of education, healthcare, and mental health.  Nation-wide shortages of mental health counselors is old news; and such shortages are particularly acute on Cape Cod.  By adopting the Calmer Choice Program, communities and schools fill a major portion of this shortcoming with sustainable instruction that can last the lifetime of the students who participate.  This is no small matter.

The need is ongoing, potentially horrific, and unmet by both the educational and healthcare systems.  The Calmer Choice Program works and is thriving in Cape Cod schools.  Calmer Choice has reached an inflection point and needs the staffing and financing necessary to reach all Cape Cod children and beyond, create a sustaining model with hand-off to the school systems, and program development and the infrastructure to reach beyond Cape Cod.  Now during this pandemic with so much uncertainty it more important than ever to provide support where we can.

Since we began in 2010, Calmer Choice has served more than 32,000 students, teachers, families and community members across Cape Cod and Southeastern, MA. Prior to the pandemic, Calmer Choice served approximately 5,000 students and teachers annually, and an additional 1,000 through our traditional, in-person community-based programs, which include 6- and 8-week mindfulness courses for adults, children and families and outreach events such as community symposiums, panel discussions and other speaking engagements.

In the coming year, with the pandemic-related adjustments to our in-person traditional model, we anticipate serving approximately the same number of people, although in a primarily virtual setting.

Our projections for the service population in five years when the Calmer Choice Institute is launched and in its second year of operation is approximately 8,000 people. By our 15-year anniversary in 2025, our goal is to have reached more than 66,000 people since we were created.

The outcome of the Calmer Choice strategic planning process, which concluded in March 2019, was a transformative three-year roadmap for the organization, detailed below. However, the recent pandemic has forced the organization to pivot, and under the guidance of our board, we are amending the strategic plan, assessing our progress to date and re-evaluating priorities to help us reach our end goal.

1). Programming – We believe that programming is the heart and driving force of our organization.  We have developed two strategic goals for programming that have a corresponding work plan.

Goals:

 - Launch Updated Calmer Choice Curriculum

 - Develop and Pilot a Model for the Calmer Choice Institute

2). Leadership, Management, Staffing and Operations – We believe that the efficiency and effectiveness of our organization requires focused leadership, daily management and a staffing and operations plan to fully support programming.

Goals:

 - Professionalize Management and Staffing of Calmer Choice

 - Improve Operational Excellence at Calmer Choice

 - Improve Internal and External Communication at Calmer Choice

3). Board Governance and Finance – We believe at the current stage of our organization, moving from adolescent to mature, we require a review of our current Board structure, a revisiting and strengthening of the Boards’ knowledge and relationship to the work of Calmer Choice, and a shared ownership by the Board working with the Executive Director and the organization to strengthen financial security.

Goals:

 - Improve Communication and Engagement with Board

 - Create and Execute Plan for Financial Sustainability

The most immediate potential barrier to our impact is the ongoing pandemic crisis, the results of which we will likely feel over the next three to five years as the country develops a “new normal.” Prior to the pandemic, Calmer Choice was on track to exceed the benchmarks set for the first year of the implementation of our 2019-2022 Strategic Plan. As a result of the pandemic, our priorities have shifted. Despite the many opportunities in front of us, there is no doubt we are feeling the impact of this crisis.  Several specific barriers exist as a result of the pandemic:

• Uncertainty around school openings in the Fall of 2020 and what that means for our access to students in the schools
• Financial barriers for potential participants in our community programs given the economic instability of our country
• Long-term viability of operating 100% of our programs virtually
• Funding shortfalls that require tighter controls on expenses, additional potential layoffs and hiring freezes
• Increased trauma experienced by our program participants - from students to teachers to parents - as a result of the pandemic

We plan to address these barriers in the following ways:

• Restructure the organization to sustain operations with fewer staff positions, revising job descriptions and supervisory relationships as needed
• Develop a plan for intentional and thoughtful staffing growth over the next 1, 2 and 3 years as we concurrently develop the Institute
• Build a robust online learning platform to host our various school, community and training programs to ensure greatest access
• Create a business model that includes hybrid in-person and virtual program delivery for school and community
• Continue to build a scholarship fund to support the growing number of adults and children of all ages who participate in our community-based programs
• Continue to develop strong partnerships with other organizations interested in opioid and substance use issues, as well as seeking out experts and colleagues in the area of trauma and trauma-informed care
• Maintain communication with classroom teachers, students and family members to ensure what we teach and how we teach it continues to have impact and is relevant to issues at hand
• Continue to leverage our active Board of Directors and Advisory Board with several clinicians and education professionals who serve as resources when needed

Calmer Choice continues to be dedicated to serving 15 towns on and off of Cape Cod, and now with on-line offerings, schools and community members around the globe. We have collaborated with many school districts, agencies to train, educate and support their members.  Some of these include the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (MSPCC); Nauset Youth Alliance; Cape Cod Justice for Youth Collaborative; Falmouth and Sandwich Substance Abuse Task Forces; Cape Cod Regional Substance Abuse Prevention Initiative; the Youth Suicide Prevention Program, a division of the Cape and Islands Suicide Prevention Coalition; Barnstable County Regional Substance Abuse Council (RSAC); Cape Cod Child Development; Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC), the Motherhood Project, the YMCA of Cape Cod; Sharing Kindness, Helping our Women (HOW), Grand Parents Against Guns, (GAGs) Cape Cod Healthcare and the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) to name a few. Additionally, the Cape & Islands District Attorney and Cape Cod Delegation of state and local legislators support the Calmer Choice program and have facilitated funding for the program in many Cape Cod schools.

Of their partnership with Calmer Choice, Barbara Mulligan, former CEO of the Cape and Islands United Way says, “We believe Calmer Choice is one of the few programs where benefits can be lifelong and the impact is felt by parents, teachers and children alike. We know that emotional self-regulation is key to educational success and school readiness and it’s been our pleasure to be a consistent supporter Calmer Choice since its inception.”

As part of our Strategic Plan, we have a goal to review, develop and improve our business model for the Calmer Choice Institute this coming year. Preliminary work has begun, and adjustments are being made as we enter a post-pandemic world. Considerations include virtual vs. in-person program delivery, target populations for expansion, fees for services to both schools and community, and the development of an online learning platform, to name a few. Funding from the Elevate Prize will help directly support this continued and important need and development. 

In addition to allowing us to serve more people, the creation of Institute is also critical for the sustainability of the organization from a financial and resource perspective. Currently, our financial model is that fees collected from our schools and community partners account for approximately 15% of our budget, and the remaining 85% is raised through grants, events, and other private funds.  By expanding our program and training offerings and creating greater access to them through the Institute, we would create more fee-for-service opportunities, allowing us to shift from the current heavy reliance on fundraising to a more balanced mix of fundraising and free-based programs and services. While we forecast only a modest shift in the first three years, the plan creates momentum beyond the initial pilot. Our long-term target for financial sustainability if closer to 60% from our fee-based programs and services and 40% from fundraising. Shifting this mix is a key component of our strategic plan and will only be possible through the creation of the Institute.

We are continually seeking funding through donations, fundraisers, grants and fees for service to ensure our sustainability now and in the future. This is a huge part of my job as the CEO to ensure we have the funding to continue to do the very important and at times life-saving work of Calmer Choice.  As you will see in the next question, our budget this year is $561,489 with the goal to raise this amount or more by June 2021.  During this very challenging time we have had to cut our staffing by three positions with the hope to raise enough money in the next 12 months to re-organize and begin to bring staff back on.

Our organizational budget for our fiscal year 2021, which began on July 1, 2020, is $561,489, a significant decrease from our prior year budget of $737,049. As a result of the pandemic, our priorities have shifted. Despite the many opportunities in front of us, there is no doubt we are feeling the impact of this crisis.  As responsible stewards of the organization, we had to make significant cuts in our operating budget for the remainder of the 2020 fiscal year, ending June 30, 2020 and into the 2020-2021 budget. This includes the elimination of three key full-time positions and a shift to hourly per-diem work for our 13 Calmer Choice instructors. We applied for and received the Federal CARES ACT Paycheck Protection Program Loan, helping us to keep remaining staff for 8-weeks, ending in early June.

In addition to many of our donors pausing on philanthropic support to take care of their families first, many of our grant partners are prioritizing basic needs funding – food, shelter and access to medical care and COVID19 research.  We have chosen to cancel our spring Overcoming Obstacles fundraising event, and two summer events have gone “virtual” (Tour de Barnstable and Falmouth Road Race). We are pausing to see how this next month unfolds after which time we may also be cancelling our Stars Come Out in August Summer Dinner Parties, which typically bring in more than $25,000.   All of these changes will have significant financial implications for us as an organization.

Receiving the Elevate Prize would help to launch Years 2 and 3 of our strategic plan and the transformative impact its implementation will have on Cape Cod and beyond.  This critically important work will be possible with your help. It will not only allow Calmer Choice to expand its work of supporting local school districts, schools, teachers, parents, students and community members but will also serve as a model for other communities across the nation who aim to utilize mindfulness-based prevention programs.

Our 3-Year Strategic Plan is transformative for our organization. Successfully executing this plan, with the Elevate Prize potentially serving as an early investment, will establish Calmer Choice as a world-class leader, teaching young people and community members to effectively and safely manage stress and resolve conflict so that they live happy, healthy and successful lives. It will also create a path for financial sustainability, allowing our important work to continue to expand beyond the current reaches of Cape Cod.

We are hopeful to gain support from the Elevate Prize to help support the continued development of our business model for the Calmer Choice Institute, and support the organization’s work in developing a long-term budget for financial sustainability in this post pandemic world.  We would also welcome the support as we develop our programming as on-line and virtual offering in order to support the greatest number of people and reach those who do not live locally.  The need for Calmer Choice is great.  The Elevate Prize would ensure that we are here to fulfill that need when we are asked.